Arriving at camp, the Professor and the Skipper led Gilligan to the crew's hut. Inside, the Skipper made Gilligan sit down on a stool next to their table. When Gilligan was seated, the Professor walked out to get something from his hut. Looking up at his big buddy, Gilligan tried again to tell him what he'd been trying to tell everyone. "Skipper, I really did see someone that looks like me."
"Of course you did, Gilligan. Just like you saw your look-a-like last time. And I suppose those cowboys you saw were real too." Skipper replied, his tone harsher than he meant.
"There was one cowboy." Gilligan sighed, deciding to give up. It was clear even to him that the Skipper wasn't going to believe him. Looks like I'll just have to prove it to him and everyone. Standing up, Gilligan made to walk out, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing the back of his shirt. Turning around, he looked up at the Skipper, frowning slightly.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
"I'm gonna go find me. I mean, the guy that looks like me." Gilligan replied.
"Oh no you're not. You're staying right here." Skipper replied, pointing towards the ground in a 'stay here' gesture.
"But Skipper-"
"No buts, Gilligan. You're staying here and that is an order."
"Yes sir..." Gilligan muttered, sitting down on the stool again.
"That's better."
Just then the Professor walked in, carrying a coconut cup filled with a sweet smelling clear liquid. He walked over to Gilligan and handed him the cup. "Here you go, Gilligan. Try some of that. It'll help you to calm down and relax."
"What is it?" The first mate asked, looking at the liquid.
"It's a simple sedative." The Professor replied.
"A sed...seda...a what?"
"A sedative. It will help you relax and fall asleep."
"But I'm not tired. And I am relaxed."
"Gilligan, just drink it. If the Professor says it'll help, then it'll help."
Gilligan sighed and put the rim of the cup to his lips and was about to take a drink when there was a knock at the door. Looking up, Gilligan watched as the Skipper went over and opened it. Standing in the doorway was Mary Ann.
"Oh hello Mary Ann. What can I do for you?" The captain asked with a friendly smile.
"Ginger and I need your help and the Professor's help." Mary Ann replied, offering her own smile.
"We'd be happy to help." Skipper smiled, looking at the Professor when he came over.
"Great." Mary Ann smiled. Leading the men outside, she headed over to the communal table where their help was needed.
Alone again, Gilligan looked around the hut before getting an idea. Standing up, Gilligan peeked out the window to see where everyone was. Spotting the Skipper and the others around the table with their backs to the huts, Gilligan grinned before sneaking out the door. Moving as quietly as was possible for him, he snuck around the back of the hut before running off into the jungle. The Skipper was going to wring his neck when he got back for disobeying an order, if the captain could catch him that is.
Circling around the campsite, Gilligan made his way through the dense foliage. Being on the hunt for his look-a-like and the cowboy and other guy, Gilligan was on high alert. He scanned the area for any sign of the strangers, but couldn't find a trace of them. "I know they're here. I saw them with my own eyes. Or at least it looked like I saw them with my own eyes." Walking through some tall bushes, Gilligan suddenly collided with something. Falling back with an 'oof!' the first mate looked up to see what he had walked into.
Sitting across from him, having fallen backwards as well, Dusty stared wide eyed at his look-a-like. Walking onto the path, having been a few feet behind the scout, Mr. Callahan and Andy stopped abruptly when they saw Dusty on the ground. "Dusty, what in the world are you doing on..the...ground?" Seeing Dusty's double sitting across from him, Callahan's jaw dropped. Keeping his eyes on the two young men, Mr. Callahan spoke to Andy, who was equally shocked. "Andy...are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I..I think so. But if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it." Andy replied.
As if seeing them for the first time, Gilligan looked up at the wagon master and Andy. Blinking, he smiled and jumped to his feet. "I found you! Oh boy, Skipper's gotta believe me now!" Without even thinking, Gilligan grabbed Dusty's hand and hauled him to his feet, then grabbed Mr. Callahan's hand and proceeded to drag them to camp.
"Whoa, hang on there fella." Mr. Callahan said, pulling his arm free from Gilligan's grip.
"There's no time. I gotta show you to the Skipper." Gilligan replied, clearly excited.
"This kid not only looks and sounds like Dusty, but he acts like him too." Callahan said out loud.
"Why does everyone say I'm Dusty? I'm Gilligan." The first mate replied with a slight frown.
"You're Gilligan? Gee, no wonder everyone keeps calling me 'Gilligan'." Dusty said, frowning a bit as well.
"Well, whoever you two are, we still need to figure out where we are and how we're gonna get back to the others." Callahan said, trying to hide his own confusion.
"Mr. Callahan, perhaps Gilligan can help us." Andy said, glancing from the wagon master to the first mate and back again.
"Help us? How?" Callahan asked.
"Maybe he knows where we are and where we can find someone to help us return home." Andy replied.
"I don't know where we are, but I know someone who can help you. He's real smart. He likes to talk so no one understands him, especially me." Gilligan grinned. "C'mon, I'll show you where he is." Without waiting for anyone to say a word, Gilligan turned and headed towards camp. Looking at each other, Mr. Callahan and Andy shrugged before following, Dusty following close behind.
Back at camp, the Skipper and the Professor had finally finished the chore the girls had needed help with. When they were free once again, the two headed back to the crew's hut to check on Gilligan. Both were expecting to find him fast asleep in his hammock, an empty coconut cup on the table. Instead, what they found was an empty hammock, an empty cup, and a missing Gilligan. Frowning, the Skipper began to look around the hut, half expecting his first mate to be hiding under the table or in their small closet. When it became clear Gilligan was nowhere to be found, the Skipper walked outside and cupped his hands around his mouth before calling out, "Gilligan!" Not getting an answer, he frowned and clenched his fists out of habit. "Dang it Professor. He's gone again. Gilligan! Gilligan, where are you!"
Walking out and standing next to the captain, the Professor looked around, his concern clear on his face. "This is not good. In his current state of mind, Gilligan could pose a serious threat to himself and others. We must find him again."
"I know Professor. But where could he have gone this time?" The Skipper asked, trying to hide his worry and fear, but not succeeding very well.
"I'm not sure. But he can't be too far away. He's been running all day and is bound to be exhausted now. Not even Gilligan can go without rest."
"Sometimes I wonder though. Come on Professor, let's go find my Little Buddy." Before either one could take more than three steps, Gilligan came hurrying out of the jungle, clearly tired, but too excited to stop and rest.
"I found them, I found them!" Gilligan yelled excitedly as he bounded over to his two friends.
"Gilligan! I oughta wring your neck for disobeying an order!" The Skipper answered, clearly not happy with his first mate.
"I'm real sorry Skipper. But I had to find them to prove I'm not going island happy." Gilligan replied.
"Well, if you found them, then where are they?" Skipper asked, still not believing Gilligan.
"They were right behind me," Gilligan replied, turning to look behind him. "Uh oh. I bet they got lost. I better go find them again."
"Oh no you don't, Gilligan. You're going right to bed." The Skipper replied, grabbing hold of Gilligan's shirt to stop him.
"But Skipper, I'm not tired. Okay, I'm tired, but not tired enough to go to sleep."
"That's why you're going to drink that sedative the Professor gave you."
"But Skipper, I gotta find them."
"No buts Gilligan. You're going to drink that sedative and go to sleep and that's an order."
Knowing he wasn't going to change the Skipper's mind anytime soon and that he was already in trouble for disobeying him once already, Gilligan mumbled a 'yes sir' before trudging dejectedly into the hut. The Skipper and Professor followed after him, the Skipper making sure he wouldn't sneak out again as the Professor handed the young man the coconut cup. Taking it slowly, Gilligan looked at it and made a face before glancing up at the Skipper. Seeing the look the Skipper gave him, Gilligan gulped and looked at the cups contents again before taking a deep breath and downing the cup in one gulp.
"Now, was that so bad?" The Skipper asked when the cup was empty.
Making a face and shaking his head, Gilligan replied, "No, it wasn't bad. It wasn't bad. It was terrible!"
The Skipper rolled his eyes before pulling Gilligan to his feet. "Now get in bed before you fall over."
"But Skipper, those things don't work on me. I remember one time the doctor had to give me something to make me go to sleep at night and-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Gilligan was out like a light, forcing the Skipper to hold onto him so he wouldn't fall flat on his face. Sighing, he picked the smaller man up and carried him to the hammocks where he dropped Gilligan down in his hammock. Shaking his head, the Skipper walked out, the Professor following after.
"Professor, do you think Gilligan will be alright?" The Skipper asked, letting his concern show a bit.
"I can't say for sure, but I do promise I will do everything in my power to cure him of whatever is ailing him mentally." The Professor replied, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Walking over to the bamboo communal table, both men sat down across from each other, each one worried deeply about their young friend. The pair sat in silence for several minutes when it was suddenly interrupted by the sound of plants rustling nearby. Knowing it wasn't the wind, the Skipper and the Professor looked in the direction the sound was coming from. What they saw next made them both frown and the Skipper reach for his hat to use as a swatter, as who they thought was Gilligan, walked out of the bushes. Or rather, stumbled out of the bushes.
Having somehow ended up ahead of Mr. Callahan and Andy, Dusty was the first to find the camp after Gilligan disappeared. Looking at the two men he had met earlier that day, Dusty frowned a bit. "Uh oh."
Dun dun dun...here be the end of chapter 7. Special thanks to those that have been reviewing ^^ Virtual brownies for all of you. And virtual cookies to everyone who is reading this.